United States v. Wetmore

766 F. Supp. 2d 319, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20517, 2011 WL 716102
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedMarch 2, 2011
DocketCivil Action 07-12058-PBS
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 766 F. Supp. 2d 319 (United States v. Wetmore) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Wetmore, 766 F. Supp. 2d 319, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20517, 2011 WL 716102 (D. Mass. 2011).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND ORDER

SARIS, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

The United States seeks to civilly commit Respondent Joel Wetmore (“Wet-more”) as a “sexually dangerous person” under Section 302(4) of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, Pub. L. No. 109-248, Title 111, § 302(4), 120 Stat. 587, 620-22 (2006), codified at 18 U.S.C. §§ 4247-4248.

Two expert witnesses — both licensed psychologists-testified at the trial. The court — appointed expert, Robert Prentky, Ph.D., was the first witness; both sides agreed on his appointment pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 4247. Amy Phenix, Ph.D., testified as the government’s expert witness. 1 Mr. Wetmore did not offer expert testimony. Both Dr. Prentky and Dr. Phenix testified that, in their opinion, Mr. Wet-more met the statutory definition of a “sexually dangerous person.”

The Court also heard testimony from four additional witnesses called by the government: (1) Thomas J. Russell, Senior Officer Specialist at FMC-Devens; (2) Cheryl A. Renaud, Sex Offender Management Program Coordinator and Sex Offender Treatment Program Coordinator at FMC-Devens; (3) Roberto Romero, and inmate at FMC-Devens; and (4) David DiMeo, an inmate at FMC-Devens. In addition to his own testimony, the respondent introduced testimony from five witnesses: (1) Daniel P. Kelly, a federal probation officer in Maine; (2) Carlos Quiles, a correctional counselor at FMC-Devens; (3) John Rankin, an inmate at FMC-Devens; (4) Louise K. Wetmore, the respondent’s mother; and (5) Neal B. Wetmore, the respondent’s brother.

After a review of the evidence, the Court finds that Mr. Wetmore is a sexually dangerous person who suffers from the serious mental disorders of pedophilia and paraphilia not otherwise specified, characterized by hebephilia, as a result of which Mr. Wetmore would, if released, have serious difficulty refraining from molesting children. After an evidentiary hearing held pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 4247(d), the *321 Court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law.

II. FINDINGS OF FACT

A. Personal History 2

Mr. Wetmore, born on March 18, 1956, had a normal childhood in a functional family. There is no record of his being a victim of child abuse or bullying. Mr. Wetmore reported suffering from emotional problems in his youth, but did not elaborate on the nature or scope of these problems. He experienced enuresis, or uncontrolled urination, through age twelve. Mr. Wetmore had some difficulty in school and was enrolled in special education programs from the seventh through ninth grades, but has no history of academic failure. He reported a self-diagnosis of dyslexia. He has no history of abusing alcohol or drugs, aside from occasional recreational use of marijuana. (Trial Tr. vol. 1, 36^4, July 22, 2010.)

Mr. Wetmore identifies as homosexual. He has maintained few normal adult relationships. He twice became involved with adult women, once during his mid-twenties and again at the age of twenty-seven, but on both occasions he failed to reach or maintain sexual arousal. (Id. at 45^6.) In 1999, when he was forty-three years old, Mr. Wetmore carried on a relationship with “Jesse,” a twenty-four year old man who was employed at the auto repair shop that Mr. Wetmore owned. According to Mr. Wetmore, this was not a “true” relationship, but the closest he has come to a “legal” one. (Id. at 62-63.)

During his adult life, Mr. Wetmore has worked and engaged in various activities that put him in contact with children. Besides operating his auto repair shop, Mr. Wetmore spent time as a Scoutmaster and a Big Brother. He also engaged in group religious activities such as scripture study. (Trial Tr. vol. 2,190, July 23, 2010.)

Mr. Wetmore remains on good terms with his family and speaks highly of his siblings, each of whom is married and leads an apparently normal and stable adult life. (Trial Tr. vol. 1, 36, 38-39.)

B. Offense History, Convictions, and Treatment

Mr. Wetmore’s history of sexually molesting boys between the ages of eleven and fifteen is lengthy. The great majority of the eleven incidents of molestation that Mr. Wetmore has self-reported involved oral sexual contact. Some, but not all, of these incidents resulted in convictions. His offense history will be discussed chronologically.

Mr. Wetmore’s sexual interest in young boys began when he was eleven years old. At that age he had his first sexual experience, which involved brief sexual contact with a ten year-old boy. (Id. at 46.) At age fifteen, Mr. Wetmore began what would be a nearly decade-long, periodic sexual relationship with another boy who was age twelve when the affair began. This child later introduced Mr. Wetmore to a variety of other young boys- — most of them about fourteen years old — at a cabin located on Mr. Wetmore’s parent’s property. Mr. Wetmore referred to this place as “the camp.”

Mr. Wetmore, who was in his late teens by this time, engaged in sexual activity with a number of boys at the camp. From this period until Mr. Wetmore was about twenty-four, he engaged in “gradual grooming” of young boys, gaining their trust by degrees and eventually molesting *322 them. One such instance involved an eleven year-old boy, “W.” Mr. Wetmore’s relationship with “W” lasted three to four years and involved fondling and oral sex. The molestations of “W” did not result in a criminal conviction.

Mr. Wetmore’s first conviction came on August 5, 1981, when he was found guilty of unlawful sexual contact with a twelve year-old boy, “M,” whom he had fondled at the camp on July 5, 1980 in Maine. “M” reported the incident to his parents. Mr. Wetmore was twenty-four at the time of the offense. After a 30-day suspended sentence, Mr. Wetmore was on probation for a period of six months and moved to Texas to volunteer with a religious group.

Eventually, Mr. Wetmore returned to Maine, but continued volunteering with this religious group. On May 29, 1987, at the age of 30, he was convicted of gross sexual misconduct with “R,” a twelve year-old boy. Mr. Wetmore met “R” one year earlier through this religious group, when the boy was eleven years old. Mr. Wet-more was convicted of conduct involving fondling and oral sex. Mr. Wetmore also reported that he attempted to engage in anal sex with “R” on one occasion. He received an eighteen-year sentence, with fourteen years to serve and the remainder suspended. (Id. at 53-56; see also Gov’t Ex. 2.)

While in prison, Mr. Wetmore learned about the availability of child pornography on the Internet. He apparently took comfort in learning that he would be able to gratify his sexual urges without physically touching children. Accordingly, Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
766 F. Supp. 2d 319, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20517, 2011 WL 716102, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-wetmore-mad-2011.